Apparatus for casting hollow articles



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

s. L. KNEASSl APPARATUS FOR CASTING HOLLOW ARTIGLES.

Patented May 7, 1895.

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APPARATUS FOR CASTING HOLLOW ARTICLES.

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PATENT f Fries.

STRICKLAND L. vKNEASYS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS 4Foa oAs'TllNG HOLLOW ARTICLES.

SIQIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,835, dated May 7,1895.

Application filed August 1.892. l Serial No. 442,368. l(No'niodel.) l

- the following is a specification.

My' invention is adapted nto the castingfof hollow articles, generally,in which the interior'cavity is in the form cfa cylinder, cone orfrustum of a cone, irrespective ofthe cony iigurationwhich may be giventothe exterior of the article. y e u l An obvious application of myapparatus is found in the casting of iron pipe, and in Figures 1 to6,both inclusive, of the accompanying drawings, it is exemplified asadapted to produce an iron pipeof the ordinary form.

.In said drawings, Fig. l represents a vertical longitudinal section ofthe apparatus employed. `Fig.v2 is a transverse section ofthe mold uponthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional View, on an enlargedscale, of the local core which isused as an adjunct in form-VV ing thebell-mouth of the pipe;- Fig. 4 ernbraces, also on an enlarged scale, apartial end View and a sectional viewlot' the collapsible ring, which isemployed to permit the longitudinal contraction of the casting duringcooling. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View, in isometric perspective,illustrating a modification of the device for introducing the meltedmetal into the mold; and Fig. 6 is a partial vertical longitudinalsection of one end of a mold adapted to be used in connection with thedevices shown in Fig. 5.

Another type of apparatus adapted to the production of a hollow casting,whose interior cavity is in form the frustum of a cone, is illustratedin Fig. 7, which represents a vertical longitudinal section through anapparatus adapted to produce such casting.

I will now proceed to describe the apparatus adapted to the casting of apipe, by reference to Figs. l to 6.

A represents-the mold, which, unless a non-chilling material is tobeused for the casting, should b e so constructed as not to impart achill thereto. Said mold has the form of a hollowcylinder constructed intwo 5o longitudinal sectionsf-A, A2, hinged together by means ofprojecting lugs, a, placed at proper intervals along the side,correspondspectively, are mounted in movable hous-` ings, D, D', at theproper distance apart and the flanges, B, B', [it closely against thesaid face plates, c, c', the flanges of the lower section, A2,beingsecured Vto the said face plates by means of bolts a2, a3, whilethe flanges upon` the upper section, A', are left free, with sufficientclearance space to permit of the movement of said section upon itshinges when it is desired to open the mold. The housings, D, D', arepreferably provided lng lugs, a being arranged along the other withhollow channels', d, d', for water circuthehousings; The outer peripheryof' the face plate, c,- is provided with gear teeth, c2, which engagewith .the teeth of the gear, K, suitably mountedfor rotation by means ofa ldriving pulley, L. At the end of the mold which is at the right handside in Fig. 1, and at which the bell mouth of the pipe is to be formed,I provide a local core, G, annular in form, Awhose outer periphery hasthe contiguration required to form the inner surface of the bell mouth,the adjacent end of the mold proper being of course suitably formed, togive the desired exterior surface to the said bell mouth. This core, G,is supported by means of bolts, g, (see Fig. 3) whose inner ends areanchored in the sand, or other material composing the core, and whoseouter ends are provided with nuts, .g', bearing 95,

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surface is iiush with the .innertsurfacerof` the` mold proper, is placedwithin ,said .groove,.

one of the faces of said ring fitting snugly against the wall of the,groove which is farthest from the end of the moldyand thusw-reducingthe width of-the groove tot theproper point. "This ring may becomposedcof-iany'Y friablematerialsuliciently cohesive and1relfractoryto sustain the molten `meta-land'give the proper support theretoun'tilit has sol-idied,\but ofsuclrcharacter as to collapse whensubjected tothe longitudinal ,strain,-of-the pipe in cooling.

,At'ihe respective endsfofgthe4 molds areincliued troughs or conduits,I,'I, respectively, suitably supported upon uprights, J, J', and`extending throughA the hollow trunnionsnto the interior of the niold;A.

"The process'of casting a pipe by means'of such an apparatus is asfollows: Thepulley, L, being actuated, the mold causedto-ro tate -at thedesired speed andthereupon a quantityof molten metal equal inweight tothe weight of the casting to be producedyand just suiicient to give therequired'thickness tothe Wall-of the -pipe lisintroduced'through one orboth ofthe hollow trnnnions `by means `oirthe conduits, I, I. "The fluidmetalfspreads -evenly overthe interior surface of 'tl1e`mold,A,seekiugthe lowest -leveland building -np radially inward. At ithatendof the -nio'ld wherethe bell mouth is to be formedthe metal Hows intothe space betweenfthe local core,G, and the proximate surface-"ot" themold until said-space isfull, but further accumulation/ofmetalat thispoint istof course prevented bythe core'Gu'The coolisurface ofthe moldcauses the metal in immediate contacttherewith 4to congealatronceyandathin coatiugof solidified metal isthus `formed. whiclrgraduallyincreases in `thickness -as `the innerportions congeal. The-longitudinal`shrinkagerof -t he pipe,aftersolidiiication and duringthe coolingperiod,l is permitted by "the collapse of the hollowringgH, and-whenVthe pipe is sufliciently cool to be removed,the

mold is opened upon its hinges-and the casting lifted out. The thicknessoftthe wall of the ,-pipetproperisdetermined entirely bythe quantity ofmetal that is `poured -into the mold, and consequently can be variedlat-will without `change in the device further 'than modifyingthesizetofthe local coreatthebell mouth,the use 1of such local corebeing obviously only necessary when a portion of the assess pipe,.orother article, is to have a greater diameter than the remainder, withoutan increase in the thickness of the Wall at such portion.

Where the pipe, or other casting, is to be a very long one, I prefertoiuse the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in order to diffuse or spreadthe melted metal with the utmost regularity :alongthe surfaceot themold. Referring to the said figures, A3, A4, represent the upper andlower sections of the mold, respectively; `onlyfthat endtbeingshown atwhich the bell `mouth of the pipe is formed. The method of rotatablysupporting the mold by means of trunnions is precisely the same as thatbefore endshownin Fig. (his provided with a-cen- Aftralplug, "M, which ifits tightly 1therein, and #the-inner end'of saidiplug has a centralcavity, YN, -axially-inlinewith the axis of 'the mold and trunnion.LA-long-ftfrou;1;lI,O,'of"slightly dess widthithan the internaldiameteinof the mold-itself, is 'centrallymoun'ted'at oneend upon ashaft, P-,-supportedin elongated'bearings,p,saidrshatfheiiig-providedwith a-hand- -wheel, Q-forotherdevice'forrotating it. At the other endof said trough is a-projecting -stem'or ijournal, P', whichwftsfreely inthe lcavitygN, offthe-plugplll. 4l`-l1is;trough,f0, is

offsufficientlength.to-extendalongthe whole i' interiorfofthemold `and`project f0ut-beyond the -l1ollow-trunnion, `at theyend which is -at-tached to the shaftgP, .tand it uis A thus-rotat i*ablymountedupon anaxis coinciding with thefaxisofthe-mold. "The sidesof that portion ofthetrough whichcprojectout beyond `thehollow trunnion'fare' raised`above the normal'leveloftheremaining portion of the -sides,as indicated'at o, inWFig. 5. l The inode "of operationpracticed'with it is-as`follows:

Thcltrough,0, being-placed in position within -the-mold, the latter-isrotated as-beformand 'the melted metal is pouredfromlthevessel, 'R, intothe outwardly projecting end of the "trough, whence ittfiows'alonganddistributes itself equallyt-herein. r1NVhensu Iicientmetal has beenpoured-Hin, the trough is'turned or tilted ,upon its longitudinalaxis'rby-'means of -the handwheel,^Q, andthe metal is thus'poured out inan extended sheet along `thewhole len gth ofthemold soas to-becomecompletely 1'diffusedalongrthe surface :before it has had time tochillat anynpoint. The raisedsides -ofthe`^trough perrnitithe operator topour in 4the :meltedfmetal at theou-twardly yprojecting end thereofWithoudanger of overflowL during the ,acti'ot`--pouring;4 and,furthermore, `wheni'the'trough` is itilted to distribute=the metal inthe interior of the mold, these raised proj octions con ti ne the`overflow of; the-metal ltothe region W-hichis wit-hin the mold proper."The mode of-operation, exceptrini so Afar-as it is-modiied -by thissystenrofJ distribution, is thesame as that vbeforedescribed, `and asimilarresult yis lofcourse produced.

In the use of the apparatusjust described,

described, but-the hollowtrunnion, C2, at the' ICO IIO

the interior cavity of the casting is cylindrical in form, (excepting,of course, at thepoint where the operation is modified by the presenceof the local core, G,) by reason of the location of the axis of.rotation in the plane of the horizon.

As the surface of the melted metal lying immediately above thelongitudinal element of the mold, which is for the time being thelowest, tends to lie in practically a horizontal plane, eachlongitudinal element of the surface of the cavity in the finishedcasting will bel rectilinear, and, in the instance just described, willbe parallel to the axis of rotation.

When the apparatus is adapted to the production of a hollow castingwhose cavity has the shape of a cone, or frustum of a cone, the positionof the axis of rotation with reference to the plane ofthe horizon mustbe modified, and I will nowy proceed to describe the casting of a hollowconical column provided with flanges at each end and having the wallintermediate between said angesof substantially uniform thickness. Theapparatus proper for such application of the process is shown in Fig. 7.

The mold consists of two parts, A7, AS, hinged together as indicated ata", .the lower section, A8, being secured by its projecting flanges, a8,a9, to the faces, c7, a8, of the rotating' trunnions, C7, C8,respectively. These trunnions rotate in inclined bearings, D7, D8,respectively. In the instance shown, only the trunnion, C7, is madehollow to permit the introduction of melted metal, the other trunnion,G8, being provided with a gear, 7c", actuated by means of a drivinggear, K7. rlhe molding surface at eachend is suitably enlarged to formthe flanges upon the casting, and adjacent to one of said enlargedportions a collapsible ring, H7, to permit longitudinal shrinkage of thecasting, is provided. The axis of rotation of the mold is indicated bythe lines R7, R8, which is inclined asshown to the plane of the horizon,indicated by the line S7, Se. The angle of inclination is of coursedetermined by reference to the desired pitch of the conical cavity to beproduced within the casting,`A". The surface of the melted metal, asbefore stated, tends to lie in a horizontal plane, and therefore all thelongitudinal elements which together constitute the surface of thecavity in the finished casting will lie at the same angle to the axis'of rotation.

In both the illustrations given, of the application of my process, thelongitudinal elements ofthe molding surface (disregarding the localenlargements for bell mouth, anges, &c.), are substantially rectilinear,and in both instances the long-itudinalelement,which is for the timebeing lowest in rotation, lies in a substantially horizontal plane.Hence the wall ofthe casting, in each instance, is of the same thicknessfrom end to end.v Obviously, however, the thickness of thek wall of thecasting may be modified in any desired manner by modifying the moldingsurface, and, even with a molding surface whose longitudinal elementsare rectilinear, a tapering wall mayL be produced by so inclinin'g'theaxis of rotation that the longitudinal elements of the molding surfaceshall, when in their lowest position, lie at/an angle to the plane ofthe horizon, the amount of taper being in accordance with the degree ofinclination.

Having thus described my invention, I wish it to be understood that I donot broadly claim the use of a rotatable mold, since I am aware thatsuch molds are not, broadly speaking, new. Furthermore, While it is oneobject of my `invention to dispense with the use of a core in thecasting of articles of this class, it is obviously in conformity withthe spirit of the invention that a local core or cores should beemployed to modify what would otherwise be the action of the apparatus,

throughout certain limited portions of the body of the casting.

I claim- 1. The combination of a mold rotatably mountedupon an axis inthe described relation to the plane of the horizon and having a portionof its molding surface enlarged or extended radially ontward from saidaxis, with a collapsible hollow ring partly filling said enlargedportion and arranged at that side thereof against whichthe longitudinalstrain of the casting is exerted in the act of cooling, and means forrotating said mold and for introducing melted metal into the interiorthereof.

2. The combination of a mold constructed in two longitudinal sections,said sections being provided with hinges and with locking mechanism,with a pair of trunnions rotatably mounted at each end of said mold uponan axis in the described relation to the plane of the horizon; meanssubstantially as set forth whereby one section of said mold is securedat each end of said trunnions, respectively; means substantially as setforthfor rotating said trunnions; and means substantially as set forthfor introducing melted metal into the interior of the mold.

3. The combination of a two-part tubular mofd rotatably mounted upon ahorizontal axis and having its molding surface at one end extendingradially outward from said axis to form a bell mouth for the casting,and its molding surface at the other end extending outward in the formof a groove, with a local core supported in proximity to said bell mouthend; a collapsible ring arranged in said groove at the other end of themold and partly filling said groove, substantially as set forth; andmeans substantially as set forth for rotating said mold and forintroducing theA melted metal into the interior thereof.

4. The combination with atubular mold rotatably mounted upon ahorizontal axis, of a trough arranged within said mold and`projectingbeyond the ends thereof, the sides of the projecting portions of saidtrough being IXO Vmiseria-beve the `normal` `line of the trough; may bepoured in a diused sheet along` th journals at the respective endsofsaid trough, interior surface of` the-mold, substantially `as lWhosoaxisV corresponds with 'che axis of `rota.` and for thepurposes'setforth.

tion fof themold;.means substantiallyasset STRIGKLAND Lf-KNEASS. 5`:forth for rotating said mold; and means sub- Witnesses:

stantially-as set forth for turning said trough JAMES H. BELL,

aupon .itsjournais whereby the melted metal E. ,REESE

